The Song List
by mmooch
Summary: Chapter Summary: Buffy sings to ease her broken heart after Angel leaves. **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge.
1. Chapter 1 - One Truth

**Aug 02 – One Truth**

Chapter Summary: Somebody rescues Buffy with a song. **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge.

Challenge: for the livejournal 2018 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.

Timeline: After Daniel's first ascension for SG-1; "Once More With Feeling" for BtVS

A/N: This collection will be based on songs I hear (or you suggest) that tie into a particular scene – canon or made up.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. Stargate SG-characters belong to Brad Wright, Jonathan Glassner, et al. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. Song "You're Still You" is sung by Josh Groban and I felt this was the perfect song for this situation.

* * *

 **The Bronze**

As Buffy started smoking from her frenetic dancing, the music serving as the score to her imminent demise suddenly stopped. It was replaced by the swell of a string orchestra, and a man stepped into the room and began to sing to her.

 _"Through the darkness, I can see your light…"_

As he approached her, he held out his hand for her to take. It felt strangely intimate to the Scoobies and the people who followed the stranger. He was making love to her with his words, trying to heal her wounded spirit.

Buffy's sung confession of feeling like she was expelled from heaven was heartbreaking but listening song to this felt like more of an intrusion of a deeply personal moment between her and this man.

 _"You walk past me, I can feel your pain…"_

Suddenly she pulled away from him, unwilling to accept his comfort, but he went after her and gently ran his fingers down her arm. He pulled her back into his embrace through his melody.

 _"And in this cruel and lonely world, I found one love…"_

The tenderness that poured out of him broke past her shell and she started sobbing in his arms. His voice caressed her just as surely as his hands did, letting her purge the pain she had been bottling up since her resurrection.

 _"…After all, you're still you."_

When he was done, he softly kissed her forehead and just held her until she was ready to speak.

* * *

 **Buffy's POV**

 _"And you will always shine, and I can feel your heart in mine…"_

Buffy looked at the man coming towards her. She was certain that she had never met him before, but he felt so familiar…so peaceful. She wanted to lose herself in him and shut out the world.

But she couldn't trust that feeling; it had been snatched away before, and if it happened again, she wouldn't survive it this time. So she pulled away from him, fighting the urge to return.

She was too dirty and wrong and broken to accept his love and comfort.

 _"And I believe in you, although you never ask me to…"_

When he wouldn't let her go, she broken down. Everything she couldn't allow herself to feel with the others, he pulled out of her. It was like one of those medical procedures where you had to bleed the poison out of the body to save a life.

 _"I will remember you and what life put you through…"_

After he finished singing, she looked up into his blue eyes and asked softly, "Were you there?"

Knowing what she was referring to, he shook his head, saying, "I wasn't in the same place as you, but I was in a similar circumstance and I used some of my time to learn about you. When I came back, I knew I had to find you."

"Is it as painful for you?" she wondered aloud.

"No, but that's probably because of the difference in where we both were," he said softly.

"What's your name?" she finally got around to asking.

His smile made her both happy and sad. "Daniel Jackson and I would like very much to help you."

"How do you mean?" Buffy was starting to get a little suspicious.

"If you need somebody to yell at, I'm your man. I'd prefer not to be your punching bag, since I'm not as good at healing as you, but I think my friend over there wouldn't mind sparring with you," Daniel said, pointing to Teal'c, who bowed his head in respect. "We have some pretty good resources we can use to track down your father and force him to help you out financially."

"What do you get out of this?" she demanded.

"We get to know that we've helped somebody who's had a very hard life but still manages to be a hero for humanity," Daniel replied sincerely.

* * *

 **Across the room**

Seeing that Buffy and Daniel didn't even notice the demon's departure, Jack moved over to Giles, who he assumed was the leader of this group, and asked, "How are you going to help her?"

Giles looked over the man who came in with the man holding Buffy, then replied brusquely, "I don't know who you are or what business it is of yours."

Fighting the urge to either grin or hit the guy, Jack responded, pointing at the center of the room, "Colonel Jack O'Neill, and that's my best friend comforting your friend. Daniel explained what he knew about Buffy's life…and return, and anyone with two brain cells to rub together can tell she's in serious need of some help."

"Buffy is far more resilient than you think, _Colonel_ O'Neill. And I thank you to keep the military out of our affairs again," Giles snapped. The last thing any of them needed was the Initiative poking their noses into anything.

"I'm not here on behalf of the military. I gotta say, though, that nobody's _that_ resilient. She needs a break before she does…break, that is. If she doesn't get one, best case scenario, you might as well re-dig that grave of hers."

"And the worst case?"

"That you have to dig a bunch of others if she snaps before she goes out in a psychotic rage," Jack warned.

"Her duty doesn't allow…" Giles started.

"Screw her 'duty', man!" Jack interrupted, finally pissed off. "If you care about her _at all_ , you'll give her time – not only to recover from what she just went through – but also to give her a damn vacation from the hell her life has been for the last several years!"

"Again, I must ask what business this is of your?" Giles inquired warily, feeling defensive.

Jack sighed, forcing himself to calm down. "Danny cares about her, and if that isn't enough of a reason for me to care, then there's the fact she's important to the world. She needs to be strong to keep it safe, and that won't happen if she stays here now."

Giles raised an eyebrow at that comment and snipped, "So you think she should go with you?"

"God, no!" Jack answered. "She doesn't know us! But she needs to go somewhere she feels safe and cared for. If there's anything we can do to help, of course we will, but this should come from her friends and family…don't you think?" he asked pointedly.

Looking at his Slayer, Giles considered not only what he witnessed tonight, but also what he had seen since his return. Maybe forcing her to stand on her own two feet was the wrong approach. If he worded it correctly, he might be able to get the Council to assist.

He knew there wasn't another Slayer Called when she died last spring, so unless Faith was released from jail – or broke out – there wasn't another Slayer to take over if Buffy died again. That might be enough of an incentive for the Council to do something.

At the very least, he should try.

* * *

A/N: Not exactly happy, but certainly hopeful. Has to be an improvement over yesterday, right? Alright, so suggestions on either guardians for Buffy for yesterday's story or songs/situations for this series of ficlets?


	2. Chapter 2 - At Last

**Aug 04 – At Last**

Chapter Summary: The story of how Buffy and Jess met. **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge.

Challenge: for the livejournal 2018 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.

Timeline: prequel to chapter 8 of 'Surrender to Love' (2013 FaD) – post season 2 BtVS; post season 3 GG; it would help you to read the previous fic

A/N: part of The Song List collection, but not in the same universe as the first chapter.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. Song 'At Last' is sung by Etta James. 

* * *

**Ken's Hell Dimension**

Buffy was knocked out as she fell through the portal and woke up to find herself chained to the wall next to a cage filled with teens, including Lily. "Why do I get the deluxe accommodations?" she asked herself.

However, a boy with dark hair answered while pointing at Lily, "They overheard her mentioning that you are something called the slayer and decided to take extra precautions."

"I'm sorry," Lily said, "I didn't mean…I just wanted to tell the others that you'd save us."

"I didn't know you even heard that word about me," Buffy admitted.

She spent an hour or so talking to the kids in the cage, trying to get a feel for feel for the situation. Then the demons took them away while Ken came over with his top goons to soften her up a bit. They didn't want her dead, just broken enough for her to be put to work on the line.

A heavy beating later and she passed out until the next morning…or what passed for morning in this place. This started the routine for the next few weeks. She'd bond with the other prisoners, especially Lily and Jess – the dark-haired boy from the first day – they'd be put to work, and she'd be tortured until she passed out.

If the demons had be smart, they would have isolated her, but they figured being in hell and tortured daily was enough to break anyone's spirit…it worked with the thousands of people they had done it to in the past. They had just never tried it with Buffy, and as long as she had friends to anchor her, she could never be truly broken.

But something had to change soon because they were losing Lily to the despair that captured everyone else down here. Jess was surprisingly holding it together pretty well. At Buffy's suggestion, he played the part of a shattered teen when it was required with the demons, but as soon as he was back in the cage by Buffy, he was back to his strong-willed, snarky self.

While Lily slept, Jess talked with Buffy about their respective pasts. For him, he wasn't sure why Buffy intrigued him so much; she was nothing like Rory, who he thought would be the love of his life…if he wasn't such a cynic. Rory was an innocent brainac who needed sheltering, and Buffy was almost as jaded as him, but still maintained some naivety. And if her continued existence after repeated beatings proved anything, it was that she could handle herself. If she were free, she might be able to make a difference around here.

On Buffy's side, she honestly didn't think about Jess as anything but a fellow inmate/growing friend for the first few weeks. The physical pain she endured was helping her put the Angel debacle into perspective. It was twisted, but the torture was helping her get over him for real. Figured that physical torture was better for her than the mental or emotional torture that Angelus put her through.

It gave her a clarity she wasn't sure she would have achieved without the pain.

She hated that she lost her life when she was called as the Slayer; hated that so many choices that other people got to have were stolen from her. When Angel appeared with his dark and mysteriousness, she latched onto the romanticism of the situation with all her Slayer strength. Even when she found out he was a vampire, she allowed his gesture of killing Darla to be proof they could become something someday.

Plus there was the bonus of falling in love with a vampire being a big middle finger to whatever asshole made her the Slayer.

Buffy admitted that she did love Angel in some way, but she wasn't sure it was the happily ever after kind of love found in movies – or even the more mundane love that her parents had for each other once upon a time. It turned out to be the Romeo and Juliet kind of love…the kind that ended in death and tragedy. Maybe it was always going to, even if he hadn't lost his soul.

When she came to that realization, something shifted in her mind and heart concerning Jess. It wasn't love right away, but the hope that it could be love…assuming he felt the same way as her.

But first they had to get out of here.

When Jess was ignored long enough by the guards to sneak over to her and pick the locks on her chains, she gathered enough of her Slayer strength to lead a rebellion and free most of the slaves.

Unfortunately, her beatings and the fight to escape caused her to collapse once they got back through the portal and the adrenaline wore off. 

* * *

**Buffy's Apartment**

Most of the people scattered in the wind – figuratively speaking – but Lily and Jess came home with her. Carried her home, actually. While they had some physical recovery to go through, they were better off than she was, even with her Slayer healing.

Lily took her identity as Anne and went to work at the diner, and Jess found a job in a warehouse. Their schedules were set up in such a way that one of them would be home with her at almost all times. Lily was usually there when Buffy slept, so there was more bonding time for Buffy and Jess.

Boredom of being stuck in bed got to Buffy almost immediately.

Since she had been expelled, she was pretty certain that a high school diploma wasn't in her future, but she didn't really want the rest of her life to be as a waitress. Jess suggested getting a GED and she agreed, as long as he studied for the test with her. It would give him something to accomplish before he tracked down his father – something he intended to do right after he got to California if he hadn't stayed at Family House for the night and ended up in hell.

It was during one of their study sessions that she finally broached the subject of romance with him, albeit in a roundabout way. "Do you miss her?" she asked, playing the pronoun game, but knowing he'd understand who she was talking about.

"Yes and no." Knowing that his answer wasn't clear enough, Jess explained, "I miss being in love with her, but we weren't right for each other…at least not at this point of our lives. We both have growing up to do in our own ways. I think hell has helped me a lot in that respect, but it also widened the gap between us. I just don't see her being able to handle what we went through."

Studiously keeping his eyes on his notebook, he asked, "What about you? Do you miss him?"

"Not really. I miss the rush of being in love, but it was never right with him…not totally. Sometimes I wonder if I would have been better off with somebody like Xander," she pondered aloud.

Taking a risk, he asked, "What about somebody like me?"

She smiled softly. "Even better since there's the tingly feelings with you that I never had with Xander."

"Tingly feelings?" Jess repeated with a smirk. "Sure it isn't just nerve damage?"

"Well, you are getting on them right now," she said with a hint of a pout.

"Can't have that," he answered seriously before leaning over to give her a kiss. She sighed happily as they broke apart. "Nerve damage must be contagious because now I'm feeling it, too." 

* * *

That was a major turning point in their relationship. They never went beyond making out, mostly in deference to Buffy's recovery, but also because in a moment of weirdness, Jess thought it would be better to wait until they had passed their GED tests.

It took some creative maneuvering to get the paperwork they needed for the test without anybody finding out where Buffy was, but Jess and Lily managed it. Thankfully, California regulations were that if you were expelled and within six months of your 18th birthday, you didn't need parental permission, and both of them qualified in that respect.

Then Jess surprised her. When the results of their test came in the mail, he dropped to one knee, pulled out a ring he got from a pawn shop down the street and asked her to marry him. "This summer has been the best and worst of my life. I know your life is hard, but I think I can make you at least a little bit happy. Please marry me, Buffy."

There were so many reasons to say no, not the least of which was the short amount of time they knew each other. On the other hand, the quality of the time they had was better than years with somebody else.

In the silence while she thought, a song came on the radio which helped her decide. Why it was on an oldies station, she didn't know, but maybe it was fate. A woman was singing about her love finally coming to her at last and it felt right. Jess' part of the jigsaw puzzle locked into place with her part…or something that sounded less sexual than that. Life – especially her life – was too short not to take happiness where she could get it.

"Yes," Buffy said with a smile.

 _For you are mine at last._

* * *

A/N: The song almost has a sad quality to it, but the lyrics are very uplifting, which made it perfect for this ficlet.


	3. Chapter 3 – Buffy Gilmore

**Aug 07 – Buffy Gilmore**

Chapter Summary: When Buffy decides to dress in a costume to upset Snyder, she had no idea what it would cost her. **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge.

Challenge: for the livejournal 2018 August Fic-a-Day Challenge. An attempt to come up with an unusual Halloween fic

Timeline: season 2 BtVS; pre-series for GG

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. Gilmore Girls characters belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. Song "Papa Don't Preach" is by Madonna

* * *

 **Ethan's**

"Why are we dressing in other people's clothing?" Buffy's companion asked as they browsed the racks of costumes.

"Because it's Halloween…the time to be somebody you aren't," Buffy explained. "If you don't want to stick out, you need to be in a costume tomorrow night – even if you don't have to play babysitter for a bunch of trick-or-treaters." Curse Snyder for making her do this on her night off!

"But these clothes are… _indecent_ ," the other girl whispered in horror at the thought of going out into public in such attire.

"How about this one?" Buffy suggested, holding up the all-white Princess Leia costume. It was sexy without being slutty. Sure, the movie version didn't include slits halfway up the sides, but it wasn't as bad as the bikini outfit.

"Who is Princess Leia?" the girl asked, reading the tag.

Buffy shook her head in astonishment. "Okay, that does it! Tonight you get your first – I'm sure – taste of popular culture…even if it's really old. We're doing a Star Wars marathon with Xander and Willow. No complaints," she ordered, holding up a hand to stop any protests. "Consider it Slayer training so you can blend in with real people."

"If you think it is necessary," Kendra replied, clearly unhappy about wasting time in such frivolous ways. "The signs said I needed to be here for a time of great upheaval, and my Watcher ordered me to listen to you when it came to advice about slaying on the Hellmouth."

Looking at the rest of the costumes, Buffy wavered between doing something to get Angel's attention and wanting to piss the troll off. In the end her anger won out over her infatuation. She smiled darkly as she made her decision and took both costumes to the register to check out.

* * *

 **Sunnydale High**

As she expected, Buffy's costume caused a little vein to throb wildly on the side of Snyder's forehead. "Miss Summers! What do you think you are wearing?!" he screamed.

Buffy feigned innocence as she ran a hand over the prominent part of her costume. "Whatever do you mean, Principal Snyder? I got the costume from Ethan's; it's somebody named Lorelai Gilmore. I thought it would be a good PSA about what teenage sex could lead to," she added in faux-righteousness. "You can never start showing children the consequences of their actions too early. I say nip those hormones in the bud before they can start!" She gave her rounded belly another good rub as she delivered her lines, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the look on his face.

Before he could erupt, she grabbed her list of kiddies from his clipboard and chirped, "Well, time to get the children some candy. Bye, Principal Snyder!"

He stood there for another fifteen minutes, twitching in rage, before he was able to think clearly again. He would make her pay for this! Somehow he would make her pay!

* * *

 **After the spell hit…**

Willow searched high and low for any sign of Buffy, but eventually had to give up so she could get Xander to safety. Maybe Giles could help look for her – or figure out what the Hellmouth was going on.

To their dismay, nobody found Buffy after the spell lifted either. Angel used his super-vamp-sniffer to search for her, but the trail stopped cold in the street outside an old lady's house who had been torn apart by some children-turned-into-demons. A check of the morgue for all bodies, especially the Jane Does, came up empty as well. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air.

* * *

 **In another place**

Which was precisely what happened.

The Powers That Be took advantage of the opportunity presented to them by the spell to remove the Slayer who interrupted the Slayer line before her presence allowed Evil a chance to use the disruption to its advantage. While Buffy Summers was a capable Slayer, she wasn't worth the risk to humanity, so she had to go.

Being the benevolent creatures they were, they wouldn't just kill her, though. They would offer her the opportunity that she claimed to always want: the chance to be a normal teenager – if you didn't count the fact she was pregnant at the age of 16. As for the real Lorelai Gilmore, they'd give her a new identity as Sarah Braverman.

* * *

 **Hartford**

One moment, Buffy was standing in the front yard of somebody's house, waiting for the children to come back with their goodies. The next, she felt something wash over her like a wave…causing her to feel woozy and close her eyes.

When she opened them again, she was startled to see she was in a hospital with her feet in stirrups. Then a horrible pain gripped her stomach. What. The. Hell?

A doctor came to give her some drugs for the pain, which had the unfortunate side effect of making it hard for her to focus on anything other than what was currently happening to her body. She was actually having a baby!

By the time it was all over, she was too relieved and too tired to think about calling Giles for help. She'd do it in the morning when she could come up with something more than 'Fire bad. Tree pretty.' The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was telling the nurse the baby's name should be Elizabeth because guys named their kids after them all the time, so why couldn't women? Now she wouldn't be so mean as to actually name her daughter Buffy, but she heard that Buffy was a nickname for Elizabeth and Elizabeth was a normal name.

Calling Giles was never to be.

While she slept, memories of her past life in Sunnydale were overwritten by those of Lorelai Gilmore. She would still be allowed to be herself – personality-wise – but with a different last name and family. Instead of being Buffy Summers, the Vampire Slayer, she was now Buffy Gilmore, teen mother and major disappointment to her parents, Richard and Emily Gilmore.

* * *

A/N: Musie went in a weird direction today. Sarah Braverman was another role played by Lauren Graham on the TV series Parenthood. Don't own that either.


	4. Chapter 4 - Temptation

**Aug 08 – Temptation**

Chapter Summary: Penny's made a friend. **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge.

Challenge: for the livejournal 2018 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.

Timeline: S03 E01 · The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation for TBBT; post-season 4 BtVS

A/N: Okay, I hadn't planned on another song story for today, but I heard this song on Pandora and Musie _insisted_ on it!

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. TBBT characters belong to Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. Song "Temptation" is by Diana Krall.

* * *

 **Apartment building**

Penny left Leonard and went over to 4A, straight to Sheldon's bedroom. She wanted to comfort him, but given how he felt about touching, wasn't sure how to go about it. When he complained that he missed Comic Con and the new Star Trek movie, she knew what to do.

She had already planned on the surprise for all four of the guys, but she knew it was important to give this to Sheldon alone.

"I can't do anything about Comic Con, but we can go see the movie, just you and me," Penny offered. "It's at one of your approved theaters," she added hoping to tempt him.

"But there aren't any theaters showing it now!" Sheldon protested, turning over to glare at her.

Penny gave him a mischievous smile, "Not officially. But one of my friends is the manager of the theater and I told him what big fans you guys were and asked if there was any way he could hold onto the film until you got back. He's just waiting for me to call him with a time. Well, it can't be during normal movie times, but we could go right now if you'd like."

"I think I'd like to take a shower and shave first," Sheldon replied, starting to feel a smidgeon of happiness again.

"You do that, and I'll go call my friend and get dressed. Sheldon? I'm sorry for what Leonard and the others did. I hope it doesn't cause you too much trouble at the university," she said with a sincere, sad smile.

* * *

 **Movie theater**

Penny knocked on the glass door and a young man with red hair unlocked it so they could enter.

"Hey, Torch," he greeted Penny with a smile.

"Hey, Oz. Thanks again for doing this," Penny answered. "Oz, this is Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Sheldon, this is Oz."

Oz didn't hold out his hand – having been warned before about Sheldon's issues. He just simply said, "Dr. Cooper, read some of your work; deep stuff."

Sheldon's eyebrows raised in surprise at that revelation. A theater manager and friend of Penny's understood his work? "Oz? Is that short for something? Why did you call Penny 'Torch'?"

"My full name is Daniel Osbourne. It's a semi-private joke between us." Oz turned to Penny and asked, "He joining us tonight?"

Penny bit her lip in nervousness. "I'm not sure. Sheldon, Oz and I have this thing tonight and you're welcome to come with…just don't tell the others, please?" she pleaded.

"May I decide later?"

"Sure, let's watch the movie now," Penny agreed.

"Want anything from the concession stand?" Oz offered.

Sheldon gratefully took an Icee and some Red Vines. Penny and Oz grabbed their snacks and went into the theater. Oz led them down the aisles and pointed at the seats, "That's the acoustic sweet spot when the room's empty."

"I approve of your new friend, Penny," Sheldon said with his first real smile since he found out his work had been sabotaged.

* * *

 **After the movie…**

"Well, Sheldon, did you want to join Oz and me for dinner?" Penny asked, not ready to give up on her quest to cheer him up. The movie seemed to help, but she knew it was just a Band-Aid.

"Is that your 'thing' you have tonight?" he responded.

"No, that's later," Penny answered nervously.

Sheldon looked at her suspiciously. "It isn't illegal, is it?"

"No, just kind of embarrassing," she assured him. "Oz is in a band and I sing with them a couple nights a week."

"But you can't sing," Sheldon stated bluntly, remembering her attempt when she was in a musical.

Oz joined them and corrected Sheldon, "She's a great singer. She just needed the right style."

"Are you attempting to 'get into her pants'?" Sheldon asked, employing the use of air quotes. "Because Leonard will be very unhappy if you take her away from him."

"Please come with us!" Penny pleaded, suddenly wanting Sheldon there. She didn't really doubt Oz, but Sheldon would be honest…even if it was painful to hear. "I'll take you to the comic book store," she added as a bribe.

He really had no wish to endure her singing…but she did make it possible for him to see Star Trek in a theater. "Very well."

* * *

 **Jazz bar**

After they went to dinner, they went to a jazz bar – something Sheldon couldn't really picture being a place Penny spent a lot of time at. It took about twenty minutes until she came out on stage. The band played some instrumental songs while she got ready.

It was good that the others weren't with him. Leonard would start stammering incoherently, Raj would probably faint and Howard would make some obscene comments about Penny's dress. It wasn't exactly revealing, but it was at the same time. It confused Sheldon how alluring it was without showing much skin. Perhaps it was the slit up the leg almost to her waist?

When she walked out, a new song began and she sang in a husky voice, "Rusted brandy in a diamond glass…"

He watched in fascination while she danced in slow, subtle moves as the song progressed. She'd move to each of the band members and run her hand through their hair, along their face, over their shoulders…it was like watching her get ready to have sex with them and he blushed at the thought.

"….Temptation, temptation, temptation, I can't resist," she finished with a wink in his direction.

Sheldon was impressed at how good she was and was quick to applaud with the rest of the crowd. This was much better than her previous performance. He'd be sure to tell her that…as soon as she was done singing.

* * *

A/N: Surprise, surprise, Buffy wasn't even in this one!


	5. Chapter 5 - Aug 14 – You Didn't Do Right

**Aug 14 – You Didn't Do Right By Me**

Chapter Summary: **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge. Buffy sings to ease her broken heart after Angel leaves.

Challenge: for the livejournal 2018 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.

Timeline: post-season 3 for BtVS; post-episode 6 of season 2 for Charmed

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. Charmed characters belong to WB. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. Song by "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me" is by Rosemary Clooney

* * *

 **Caritas**

Leo sipped his drink, wondering how his fellow whitelighter convinced him to come to a demon bar of all places to drown his sorrows over Piper dating Dan. He had to be crazy. That's all there was to it…when she picked Dan, he obviously lost his mind.

"Why are we here again?" he demanded of his new friend.

The rookie whitelighter peered across the room and smile when he saw who was about to head up on stage. "I nudged a friend from high school to come here and sing. The Host," he pointed to the green demon with red horns, "can read people when they sing and offer them advice on their lives."

A song that came out after his death, but close enough to it, that he enjoyed it anyway began to play. Ironic how much it called to him at the moment.

 _"Love, you didn't do right by me…"_

He held up his glass for a refill. He'd need a few more to get through this song…especially with the way this woman was singing it. She wasn't a bad singer. She wasn't going to get a record deal or anything, but she didn't sound like dying cats either. But clearly, this song had a lot of personal meaning for her given how she was already crying.

 _"My one love affair didn't get anywhere from the start…"_

It wasn't really fair to imply this was Piper's fault. He should have known better to fall for a witch…especially one of his charges. But, then again, you can't help who you fall for. There probably would be a lot fewer divorces in the world if you could. He wondered if that was the story for the woman on stage.

 _"Yes, Mr. Love, you done me wrong."_

There was a polite scattering of applause from the crowd as she left the stage to join The Host. The demon offered her a clean handkerchief from his pocket and gestured for her to keep it. After consoling her for a minute or so, he started talking to her.

Then to Leo's surprise, the demon pointed across the room at him. The woman looked at him in confusion, but he just nodded and pushed her towards Leo's table.

"That's my cue to leave, buddy," his whitelighter friend said, quickly standing. "Tell Buffy I hope this makes her happy."

Her name was Buffy? Why did that sound familiar to him?

* * *

 **The next day…**

Their initial conversation was a little stilted, but decent enough for them to make plans for coffee in the morning.

"So, I never got around to asking you last night what you are." Buffy pointed to the sunny day and added, "Obviously, you aren't a vampire, so that's good. Given that you were at Caritas, I assume you already know about the supernatural, and if you don't…surprise?" she jiggled her hands in the air.

"Do you know about witches?" Leo asked.

"Sure," she replied, "my best friend does some spells and wants to learn more."

"Really? What's her name?" he inquired eagerly. He wondered who her whitelighter was.

"Umm, I don't really know you all that well just yet, so I'd rather not give you that kind of info on our first date," Buffy hedged.

"Sorry, I was just wondering if I knew her whitelighter," Leo explained, knowing that his friend wouldn't have wanted him to meet Buffy if she and her friends were evil. "That's what I am…a whitelighter. We guide witches and future whitelighters."

"I don't think she has one," she said. "It would be awesome if she got one, though." She leaned in and admitted, "Some of her spells go kinda wonky. Course, that might be the Hellmouth's fault."

"Hellmouth?" Leo paused for a few seconds while that information sank in and he suddenly remembered where he heard her name before. "You're the Slayer!" he whispered.

Buffy looked around nervously like she was expecting something evil to jump her. "Okay, umm…"

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you nervous. Larry didn't explain how he knew you," he apologized softly.

"Larry? Didn't he die during graduation?" she murmured aloud. "He didn't become a vampire, did he?" she demanded to know.

Leo shook his head and answered, "No, he became a whitelighter."

"Oh, well good for him…I guess," Buffy responded. "Is it a good gig? Better than the Slayer thing?"

"I'm happy with it most of the time. When I lose a charge, it hurts, but knowing that I can make a difference helps," he told her truthfully.

"Huh, I never thought about it like that before," she said. "So what did Larry tell you about me?"

Clearing his throat in embarrassment, Leo answered, "Just that he hoped meeting me would make you happy. It kind of sounded like he was trying to make up for something that happened between you while he was alive."

"A few somethings," Buffy agreed. "But him helping at graduation made up for those things, so meeting you is a bonus…as long as you don't turn out to be evil or anything. You were never cursed by gypsies, were you?"

"No," he replied warily, curious as to the story behind that question.

She smiled at him a little wider. "Good to hear. That makes you different from my ex."

"You save the world, which is like my ex, but that's a good thing in my book," he answered with his own smile.

It wasn't much, but it was a start.

* * *

A/N: Couldn't have either of them leap into a new relationship right away but thought this could be an interesting first step to a Leo/Buffy 'ship. It would completely derail Charmed…and possibly BtVS as well. And who loves that Larry became a whitelighter?!


End file.
